taxes

The extension applies to the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP), and to the Montana Disabled Veteran Assistance Program (MDV).

As the governor extended the deadline Monday for Montana residents to apply for property tax relief, leaders in Missoula gathered to discuss the state of the community, where inflationary costs and taxation played a central theme.

Montana counties have mailed out supplemental tax bills after a court ruling ended an’ attempt to challenge how property taxes are calculated.

Andy Drobeck writes, "This mill levy is an investment in the safety of our growing number of citizens. Missoula needs a fire department that serves the Missoula we are now."

Missoula County homeowners are still seeing tax bills arrive in their mailboxes following last year's high property appraisals.

John Ellingson writes "Those earning less than $81,000 got enough to buy a few pizzas. The Republicans then had the gall to raise residential property taxes by a record amount while lowering taxes for our biggest corporations."

Todd Devlin writes, "This governor knew it was against the state constitution not to allow a veto override vote by the legislature. He also knew that he would probably lose in court, but he needed time."

In the last year, residential property taxes jumped nearly $270 million in Montana while commercial property taxes rose $37 million. In comparison, corporate and mining taxes fell by $72 million.

Joan Daoust writes, "As we good citizens work to file our state and federal returns, we need to be mindful of recent federal tax policies that are grossly unjust."

A strategic financial report pegged the problem as deep and structural: “County revenues are simply not growing fast enough to keep up with expenses.”